Mineral separator



June 14, 1927. 1,632,210

` R. s. BALDWIN ET AL MINERALV sEPARAToR SMM 1% @neuneu -,Jum 14, 1927- R s, BALDWIN ET AL MINERAL SEPARATOR Filed A1192. 3, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @aanleg `Panerai Jane i4,r ieri.

unirse pararse earner orrics. j

miren s. BALDWIN Ann .Wittner/i A. reunieron, or sportman, WASHINGTON MINERAL SEPARATOR.

Application filed August 3, 1925. SerialNo. 47,682.y

Our present inventionrelatesto improve- .ments in mineral separators and particular ly'a laundering table forming part of the; separating machine used for extracting` precious metals,y as gold, in placer' mining. The laundering table 1s designed to receive the ganguefrom any suitable source, which 1s 'here .indicated as a precipitating tank. inv

which the galng'ue is treated before re'achiinel the laundering. or washing table. and :means are provided for precipita-tingand.collecting the grains of gold Washedfroin` the table,

and for disposing. ofthe tailingsfrom the further use of treatment.

The invention involves the use of an os-` cillatable or rocking table ofspecio construction in which are incorporated certain novel combinations and arrangements of kparts for effectively washing ,and disposing of the material as Will hereinafter be fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of our invention wherein the parts are combined and varranged accordingto the best inode We have Vso far de-` vised for the practical application ofthe principles of our invention. TWhile We Will hereinafter refer to the eXtractionofgol-d, it will be understood that the machine is' applicable for use in the extraction and recovery of other precious metals.

Figure l is a view in side elevationof a mineral separat-ing machine in which the Washing or laundering table of our invention is utilized as ay unit. y

Figure 2 is an enlarged topplan view of more the laundering table.

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical `sectional vien" of the' laundering table and its support, indicating by dotted lines the limit ofunovement `of the oscillatable table.

Figure 4t is a detail view` of the adjustable ctx-:ele operating means forfoscillating theV tabie.

Inorder that the general relation .andassembly of parts may readily be understood We Vhave shown in Figure l the entire sep* arating'machine of which the oscillatable laundering table forms a unit, but itvvill be understood that thetable and its iconV .enna

nections may readily. be .adapted Aforother uses than that illustrated in the assembly view.

. In the perferred form of the invention the frame l is made up of pairs of inwardly inclining metal bars having a base 2, and atthetops of the bars ya longitudinally eX- tending Wooden beam 3 issupported and rigidly secured by VVbolts to the frame. At

its ends this supporting beam is provided 1 With bolts or threaded posts' i and `zvihich pass through bolt holes inthe beamsand by means of lock nuts 6 and 7 these Vsup` sorting posts or uprights may be rigidly retained in adjusted position. Above thesup` porting beam land `parallel therewith islocated a. rocking beam 8 disposed longitudinally of the machine and adapted tok rock or oscillate on its longitudinal axis. Atits ends this rocking beam is fashioned with trunnions 9 that ae journaled infbearings 10 at the top or upper ends` of the posts tl and 5, and the laundering table'isV rigidly supported on this rocking beam to escillate therewith.

The table top is Vmade up of a plate `or sheets `of galvanized iron and as indicated the topll is of concavo convexl form in crosssection with its lateral edges higher than the longitudinal center. surface of the tableI top We use a mat 12 which preferably is fashioned With a top corrugated surface with the .alternating ribs and grooves running longitudinally of the i table to assist in Washing or laundering the gangue for the purpose of loosenlng and removing the dirt covering or coating from granular gold, as the table is rocked. As .seen in Figure 1 the table declines slightly to the right and is adjusted by positioning the tivo posts or'looltst` and 5 in desired re- On` the top lation in order that the material discharged onto the tablewill gradually Work towardV the right 'end in Figure 1. f i

n-ilA 1 at opposite sides of the table. To prevent escape by splashing of the materials we provide. inwardlyburved fianges .15 and 1G which project upwardlyy from the outer walls of the chutes and deflect the materials down-` wardly to the chutes. i

As best seen in Figure l'tliese vertically disposed side chutes are provided with inclined'lbotto'msas 17 which converge'at approximately thevlongitudinal center ofthe rtable and the chutes terminate respectively in sluiee ways 18 and 19. As 'seen in Figure 3 lthese sluicesor sluiceways are inclined and f extend toward the center` ofthe table besprayed uniformly upon the material on low ythe supporting beam7 and they y are v joined at 2O and provided `with a single or Y common outlet 21..4 Y i a Above the oscillating table we dispose a" spray pipe 22Vwhichris connected with' a main water supply pipe 23, andthe water is Y the tabletop to assist in washing or laune dering the material. It willbe apparent that asthe tableis rocked or oscillated ask indi-l cated by the dotted lines in Figure 3, the

material will be washed as itis passed back materials kfall by gravity through the chutes f thenlpass out or are discharged through the and forth transversely of theftable top and the lighter materials will find their wayto" the vertically disposedV chutes. Due to this washlng and agitationthe separated lighter and run or How through the two. sluices and outlet 21 to a precipitating tank 24 located below the table in position to receive the ma@ :terials fronrthe sluices.

The precipitating `tank is fashioned with converging bottom walls 25 which terminate in a collecting cup 26, and the removable cover 27 of this cup may be withdrawn to j? extract from the tank the grains of gold Y therein. By precipitation the heavier materials are ndeposited on or flow down the converging walls to the collecting cup,'wh1le the lighter materials withv the water content flow out ofl the tank through a laterallyT extending trough 28, andthe tailings passing Vthrough this trough may be further treated if desired. The vinlet to the trough is lo`V cated a sutiicient distance above the bottom of the tanlnor the collecting cup, as not to interfere with the precipitation of the heavier materials, but to carry oft thelighter more buoyant materials. I j

Forl oscillating the table, power is trans- `mitted from a transversely arranged operat-` ing shaft 29 journaled to revolve in bearings insuppo-rting frames 30. A crank disk 31 is'keyed on the shaft and provided with a series of pin-holes 32 spaced at various disl Lasagne tances about the centerof the disk or the axis of the shaft, and a pit-man 33 is connectedby its pivot'pin 34 to selected one ofthese variousoperating points of the disk for the purpose-ofdetermining the length of the throw orstrokewof the pitman7 thus varying the oscillating movement ofthe tab-le. At its upper end the pitman iscon nected by a universal or ball andsocket joint. 35 to -a rigid portion 36 of the table, and it will be apparent that the rotary mover ment of the shaftis translated into 0scillating movement of the table by these power transmitting devices.

VThe operating shaft is driven from an engine shaft 87 (Fig. 2) byfmeans of a pulley `38 on the engine shaft shown in dotted lines, the belt 89 and the pulley 40 onfthe shaft 29.

ntheinstallation of the apparatus illustrated in Figurel the gangue is'elevated by aA pump 41 to thel hopper 42,` where it is screened. The coarser materialifiows into a tailings trough 43 andthe extracted material fallsby gravity into a precipitating tank 44, where grains of goldare precipitated into the collecting cup 45 and theresidue of the material isconveyed through the housing 46 and` deposited upon the laundering table heretofore described.y The-several parts of this mechanism karel operated byl power transmission ldevicesfrom the engine shaft 37, a description-ofwhich is not necessary to l an understanding ofthe present invention.

As the gangue issues from the endless conveyer in the housing it is sprayed with water froma nozzle or nozzlesV as 47 and the supply of water for this spray is regulated from the Y main water pipe l23 by the valve 48. The materials flowing down the inclined i table top pass therefrom over the outlet end 49k to a sluice Vway 50"'and thence to al precipitating tank 51 which is provided withy a collecting cup 52 similarto the cups 27 and 45 heretofore described. `The tailings from the precipitating tank 51 may be conducted to a pair of copper plates 52 and 53 where the lineV grains of gold are amalgamated with mercury inusual inanner, and the inaltailings are disposed of through a trough 54.

- From the above description 'taken in connection `with our drawings it will be ap-` parent that the laundering table may be used as a separate unit in the extraction of gold and other precious metals, or it may bev used as an intermediate unit'together with additional units'in the mineral separating ma chine shown. K

Having thus fully described our invention what wey claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is a l1. The combination VVVwith aV supporting frame of a pivoted table having a concave surface and adapted to oscillate on its-lon- Igitudinal center, and a mat on the table lia-vving a longitudinally extending corrugated surface, Said table having an outlet at one 4 end and lateral launder chutes, and discharge troughs opening from said Chutes.

2. The combination With a. supporting frame, of n pvoted table and means for 03- cllatng said table on its longitudinal axis5 said table having' an outlet at one end and lateral launder chutes, side baffle plates 10- cated at the respective outer sides of Said chutes and projecting above the plane of the 10 tures.

RALPH S. BALDWIN. VILLIAM ArJOHNSTON. 

